


It's Time

by helsinkibaby



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Canon Het Relationship, Community: 1-million-words, F/M, Fluff, Het, Married Couple, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-23 03:37:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10711386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: Matt made a promise to be there, and he keeps his word.





	It's Time

**Author's Note:**

> For the weekend grab bag challenge. Prompt: Scenario: "I said I would. Did you really think I wouldn't?"

His Senior Staff have just begun to file out of the Oval Office when Ronna comes in, comes right up to his desk before she speaks. Which is unusual for her so straight away, Matt's on alert. "Mr President?" There's a smile on her face, a sparkle in her eyes. "It's time."

He automatically looks at his watch. "Time for what?"

Ronna's smile broadens. "No, Sir," he says. "It's time." There's an emphasis on the final word that wasn't there before and suddenly Matt understands. 

"It's time?" 

Ronna nods. "Donna called a few minutes ago. She said the First Lady said that you didn't need to be called yet but she's using her discretion and she hopes you'll go to bat for her if the First Lady tries to fire her." Her lips twitch. "Please don't tell Mrs Santos about that." 

"Noted." Matt looks at his desk, at the various files piled on it. "Is there anything-"

"Sir." Ronna's voice is firm. "There's a plan in place. We can handle this. You're good to go." 

As the President of the United States, Matt thinks he should probably ask a few more questions. 

As a husband, he's hauling ass out of there as quickly as he can. 

He finds his wife pacing the halls of the Residence, one hand on her stomach, the other on her back. She rolls her eyes when she sees him but she doesn't bat him away when he puts an arm around her waist. "Donna called you." 

It's a statement, not a question, so he doesn't bother denying it. "And you're not allowed to fire her for it," he says. "Besides, where else would I be?" 

Helen looks up at him, lifts one eyebrow. "In the Oval Office, running the free world?"

Matt feels a frown coming to his face. "I said I'd be here," he says. "Did you really think I wouldn't?" 

That eyebrow is still raised. "I think a lot of things can happen when you're the Pres-" She stops mid-word, stops walking and sucks in a deep breath and sure, it's been a while since they did this but like riding a bike, Matt remembers his role well enough. 

"It's ok, just breathe through it," he says, taking her hand and not even wincing when she squeezes it tightly. He knows it's going to get much worse than this. 

When the worst has passed, Helen leans against him. "We had a perfect family," she tells him. "One boy, one girl... remind me why we're doing this again?" 

He chuckles as he kisses her temple. "Because you couldn't resist me in my tux after a State Dinner?" He gets The Look in response, knows that it had far more to do with the State visit to London, a packed schedule and the time difference combining to wreak havoc on her birth control. 

"I don't care how much you want to shore up Anglo-American relations," she tells him, a wry smile on her face. "We're not calling her Elizabeth." 

He pretends to be disappointed, is somewhat relieved when she laughs. "Come on," he says, casting his eye over her shoulder. "Let's get you to the hospital... I think you're making the Secret Service nervous."

Helen actually laughs at that. "I knew there had to be an upside to this." 

Now it's Matt's turn to lift an eyebrow. "Finally getting me outnumbered isn't enough?" 

"Almost." She leans in and brushes a kiss across his lips. "Almost."


End file.
